Joseph w



(No Model.)

J. W ALEXANDER WHEELHOUSE.

WITNESSES: a... Way/0% 7 N. PETERS. Pnuwumo m nar. Washinghm. D. C.

-UNTTT STATES JOSEPH ALEXANDER, OF FRAZERVILLE, QUEBEC, AND MARSHALL \VHEELHOUSEfOF OAMPBELLTON, NEW BRUNSWICK, CANADA.

RAILWAY-SWITCH SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No; 298,151, dated May 6, 1884.

Application filed October 23. 1883. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, J OSEPH W. ALEXAN- DER, of Frazerville, Province of Quebec, Do

'minion of Canada, and MARSHALL VVHEEL HOUSE, of Gampbellton, Province of New Brunswick, Dominion of Canada, have in vented a new and Improved Railway-Switch Signal, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Our invention consists of improved arrangements of. means for carrying and operating three-throw signals for three-throw switches by one lever with interlocking devices,which automatically lock the signals in position and unlock the same for shifting, as hereinafter fully described.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

' Figure 1 is a front elevation of our 1m roved signal. I Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of Fig. l on line so Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 y, Fig. 1, inverted; and Fig. 4 is a detail, partly in side elevation and partly in section.

For a three-throw switch we arrange three of the usual lamp-and-board signals side by side on vertical revolving shafts a b c, supported by any suitable stand, (Z, upright sup port 6, and beam f, the two outside shafts, a and c, terminating at the stand d, but the middle shaft, b, extending down to the ground,

where it stands in a step, 9, and above the step it has the crank h, to which the switch-shifting connecting-rod t is attached. The middle shaft, 1), has a wheel, 6, that is toothed half its circumference, or thereabout, and has a cam projection, is, from the under side at eachend of its toothed section. The outside shafts also have a wheel, a and c, respectively,which are similarly toothed, and at about the middle of their toothed sections they have a notched catch, j, attached to the under side, which catches are to engage with the spring-latches 7c, pivoted to the stand d under the wheels, to lock the signals a 0 in position when showing the danger side. The teeth on said wheel b are so arranged relatively to the teeth on the wheels at and c that the teeth of Wheel 1/ will engage either with the teeth of wheels a or 0, according to the direction in which it is turned, as soon as their latches are released by the cams on the wheel b. The middle shaft, b, has the shifting-lever Z attached to it, and this leverworks on a perforated curved bar, m, secured to the frame, and may be locked to said curved bar in its several positions by suitable pins, in the manner shown in Fig. 2, and said middle shaft holds the other signals in position by meshing with them when showing all right.

The operation is as follows: To set the switch 7 for the siding at the left hand which is next to the switch-stand on the right-hand side, the lever Z is shifted to the left hand, as represented in Fig. 1, where it is to be locked bya pin in a hole of the curved bar 1%. The board a and the lamp 0 of the shaft c'will then show all right by the blue color of the lamp and by the absence of the red side of the board from view, said shaft being then held in position by gearing with shaft 12, which is locked by the lever Z. The shaft 1), and also shaft a,

will show the danger-signals by their boards a and lamps 0, the'shaft a being locked in position by its catch j and latch or locking-catch 70. To set the switch for the middle branch, the lever Z is turned to the center position, as in Fig. 2, on the bar m, and secured by a, pin placed each side of it, which shaft a will show all right. This will turn shaft 0 a quarter of a revolution, causing it to show red and locking it in that position by the latch is passing into the notch of catch but shaft a will remain in its position still showing red, it be ing so held by its catch j andlatch k, and the teeth of its wheel being out of gear with the teeth of wheel b7. To set the switch to the right-hand siding, asin Fig. 3, inverted, the lever Z is turned over to the right on bar on and fastened as before, causing the middle signal to show dan 'erUand turnin shaft a to from being pressed too far backward by restwheel, a, c, and also a catch, j, and said catches ing against the rear parts of said brackets or standards. The reverse movements of the lever will reverse the signals in the same manner as above described.

We do not limit ourselves to the particular arrangements of the latches and their springs, nor to the kind or form of latches herein shown and described, for they maybe modified to suit the judgment or will of the constructor.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. In a signal apparatus for three-throw switches, the combination, with the central crank-shaft, b, having the switch-rod t connected to it, also having the signal lamp and board, and also having a partly-toothed wheel,

I), and cams is, of the shafts a 0, located on opposite sides of said central shaft, and each having a signal device, also a partly-toothed provided with locking-catches 7.7, substantial] y as described.

2. A triple signal apparatus for a threethrow switch, consisting of three shafts, a I) a, each having the proper lainp-and-board signal, and the shafts a 0 being geared with the lever and crank-shaft b by the partly-toothed wheels a, c, and b, and having self-locking catches, in combination with the unlockingcams 7: on the wheel 12, substantially as de scribed.

JOSEPH \V. ALEXANDER. MARSHALL \VHEELHOUSE.

\Vitnesses for Alexander:

ll). Tnonms, W. G. BERNARD.

\Vitncsses for \Vheelhouse:

I. ALLINGHAM, J. FERGUSON. 

